Cleaning tool with detachable cloth



Dec. 15, 1959 J. J. SMITH CLEANING TOOL WITH DETACHABLE CLOTH Filed Au 12, 1957 INVENTOR JOHN J. SMITH ATTORNEYS United States Patent O CLEANING TOOL WITH DETACHABLE CLOTH John J. Smith, Highland Park, N.J., assignor to Chicopee Manufacturing Corporation, a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 12, 1957, Serial No. 677,622

1 Claim. (Cl. -247) This invention relates to a cleaning tool provided with an accessory for detachably connecting a dusting cloth to' the head thereof. The tool may be a dust mop, or similar household cleaning tool, of the type having an elongated handle and an enlarged head.

It has been recognized heretofore that many household dusting operations may be simplified by using a cleaning tool provided with a dusting cloth located at an end of an elongated handle. Such a tool would permit the housewife to dust the walls and ceilings of the home without the necessity of climbing to elevated positions on ladders, chairs, etc., as is now customary.

It also would simplify the dusting of floors. As is well known, brooms are quite ineffective as implements for the removal of dust in that the dust has little tendency to adhere thereto. Moreover, dust mops, while efiective as implements for the dusting of floors, are themselves quite difficult to clean. Hence, the use of a conventional dust mop leads to the onerous task of removing the dust from the mop itself. These difiiculties may be eliminated to a substantial degree by the use of a dusting cloth attached to a tool having an elongated handle. When moved over the floor, the cloth will collect the dust effectively, and when the cloth becomes dirty, it may be discarded or, if desired, it may be washed by conventional methods.

Although the advantages of associating a dust cloth with atool having an elongated handle have been recognized heretofore, none of the structures of which I am aware have come into general use. This I attribute to the fact that none of these proposed structures has been both economical and easy to use, and of course, these characteristics are absolutely essential in a device of this character.

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide an inexpensive accessory which may be used with the utmost ease by housewives to detachably connect a dusting cloth to a conventional cleaningv tool, such as aimop or a broom.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a cleaning tool accessory of this type constructed in such a manner that it may be used with many different types of conventional household tools without the necessity of making complicated adjustments in order to adapt it for such use.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a cleaning tool accessory with means by which a dusting cloth may be secured to the cleaning tool without requiring any structural modifications in either the tool or the cloth and without subjecting'the cloth to penetrationby holding elements of any kind.

These objects are realized, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in an accessory consisting of a simple plate member having a plurality of holes therein. These holes are so shaped and arranged as to provide the means by which the plate member may be connected to a cleaning tool, and by which a dusting Cloth, disposed in surroundingl'elationwith respect to ice the head of the cleaning tool, may be connected to the plate member.

One of theholes in the plate member is larger than the transverse cross section of the handle of the tool with which the accessory is to be used, but smaller than the transverse cross section of the head of the tool. This relationship permits the plate member to be disposed in operative relation with respect to the tool by simply passing it over the upper end of the tool and then sliding it down the handle to a position adjacent the head of the tool.

The other holes in the plate member are in the form of elongated slots of decreasing width. A dustingcloth disposed in covering relation to the head of the tool may be secured in position by inserting portions of the cloth into these slots and then moving them along the slots so as to bring them into wedging engagement with the walls of the narrow portions of the slots.

Abetter understanding of the structure of the accessory of this invention and its many advantages will be gained from a consideration of the following detailed description of certain embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the accessory of this invention in operative relation with respect to a dust mop and a dusting cloth covering the head of the mop;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the accessory of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of the accessory of this invention; and

Fig. 5 is a central cross sectional view showing a pivot for the mop handle.

The dust mop shown in Fig. 1 is of conventional construction. It includes an elongated handle 1 and a cleaning head 2 at the lower end of the handle 1. The cleaning head of the mop is provided with a large number of cotton strings 3 for collecting dust when the mop is used in the customary manner. The strings 3 are fixed at their inner ends to a support '4 which is in turn connected to the handle 1. It is usual to provide a pivotal connection 10 between the support 4 and the handle 1 in order that the inclination of the handle 1 may be varied without disturbing the position of the strings 3 with respect to the surface being cleaned.

It will be understood that the present invention is in no Way limited to the particular dust mop shown in Fig. 1. It may be used with mops of other constructions, brooms, buffers, and other tools of the type normally employed by housewives. It is essential only that the tool have an enlarged head and an elongated handle extending from such head. A particular mop construction has been illustrated in Fig. 1 merely to show the manner in which the present invention is used.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the accessory of this invention con sists of a circular plate or disc 5 of cardboard, plastic, metal, or other suitable material. A central portion of the disc 5 is provided with an elongated hole or aperture 6 of generally oval shape and of suflicient size to loosely receive the handle 1 of the mop to which it is to be attached. This hole 6 permits the disc 5 to be passed over the upper end of the handle 1 of the mop and moved downwardly to the position illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein it rests upon the upper surface of the head 2 of the mop.

The oval shape of the aperture 6 makes it possible to mount the disc 5 upon many different types of conventional household tools. For example, some such tools are so constructed that the pivot, usually a wire, by which the handle is connected to the cleaning head, protrudes laterally from the handle at a point slightly" above the head' of thetool. When thediscS is"tob"e used'with a" tool of this type, the longer axis of the oval-shaped aperture 6 preferably is oriented so that the disc 5 may be passed over the pivot as well as the handle of the tool.

Disposed about and spaced from the aperture 6 in the disc 5 are a plurality of teardrop-shaped holes or slots 7. Each of the slots 7 is relatively wide at one of its end portions and is relatively narrow at its opposite end portion. -It should be noted also that the longitudinal axes of the several slots 7 are curved about the center of the disc 5.

The function of the slots 7 will be apparent from Fig. l of the drawings. In this view a dusting cloth 8 of generally rectangular configuration has been shown in two positions. The first position is that indicated in broken lines and in which the cloth 8 is stretched out on the floor beneath the head 2 of the dust mop. The second position is that shown in full lines and in which the corners of the cloth 8 are attached to the disc 5 of this invention.

The dusting cloth 8 preferably is a non woven fabric chemically treated in such a manner that dust adheres to its surface. Fabrics of this type are commercially available at the present time, and they possess many advantages which commend them for use in connection with the accessory of this invention. They are lint free and are so inexpensive that they may be discarded without substantial economical loss when they become loaded with dust. Nevertheless, it will be evident that other types of dusting cloths may be used, if desired.

The cloth 8 may be caused to assume the position illustrated in full lines by lifting each of the four corners of the cloth, inserting it through the enlarged portion of a slot 7 in the disc 5, and then moving it longitudinally into the narrow portion of such slot. As a corner portion of the cloth 8 is moved along a slot 7, the walls of the slot bear with increasing force against the cloth, and if the cloth is moved far enough along the slot, sufficient force will be developed to lock the corner of the cloth against withdrawal from the slot in a vertical direction.

In this connection, although the disc 5 may be made of any suitable material, the use of cardboard is particularly advantageous, because cardboard has sufiicient flexibility to permit the walls of each slot 7 to spread slightly as the cloth 8 is brought into wedging engagement therewith. This makes it possible to move a corner portion of the cloth 8 far enough along a slot '7 to bring a substantial portion of the cloth into contact with the side walls of the slot 7. Thus, the bearing area between the disc 5 and the cloth 8 may be greater when the disc 5 is made of cardboard than when it is made of some less flexible material.

When the corner portions of the cloth 8 have been secured to the slots 7 in the disc 5, the housewife may proceed immediately with the dusting operation to be performed, and when the cloth 8 becomes loaded with dust, it may be removed by simply moving the corner portions thereof to the wide end portions of the slots 7 to free them from the disc 5. The disc 5 also may be removed from the mop, if desired, by passing it upwardly over the upper end of the handle 1.

The simplicity of these manipulations and the fact that the accessory of this invention may be used with wholly conventional dust mops and wholly conventional dusting cloths are factors of much importance to busy housewives. It should be noted also that, even though the accessory of this invention serves effectively to hold the dust ing cloth 8 in position, it does not weaken the cloth 8 by penetrating the portions which are engaged thereby.

The arcuate disposition of the longitudinal axis of each of the slots 7 also deserves special consideration. As will be evident from Fig. 1, this arrangement permits a corner of the cloth 8 to be moved a substantial distance along the axis of a slot 7 without materially disturbing the orientation of the cloth 8 with respect to the head 2 of the mop. As a result, very little skill is required in order to obtain vention.

4 a satisfactory fit between the mop head 2 and the cloth 8 covering it. The cloth 8 may be drawn as tightly about the head 2 as is desired for a particular dusting operation, and the connections between the corners of the cloth 8 and the disc 5 established without disturbing this relationship.

Although Fig. 1 illustrates a rectangular dusting cloth 8, and although the corner portions of the cloth 8 are shown to be disposed within the slots 7 of the disc 5, it will be understood that these relationships are not critical. The cloth 8 may be of any shape, and any portion thereof may be brought into holding engagement with the narrow portion of a slot 7.

Fig. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the invention. This embodiment consists of a fiat plate 9 which may conform in thickness to the disc 5 shown in Fig. 3, and which may be formed of any of the materials mentioned above. As shown, the plate 9 is rectangular, rather. than circular. This variation is intended to suggest to persons skilled in the art that the accessory of this invention may be of a variety of shapes. Its outline may be a square, a pentagon, a hexagon, an oval, etc. The selection of a particular shape may be based upon such factors as relative ease of manufacture and the shape of the tool with which the accessory is to cooperate. In connection with the latter, it is pointed out, for example, that some buffers with which the accessory of this invention may be used have rectangular heads, and that a similarly shaped accessory might well be used therewith to preserve the symmetry of the construction.

A central portion of the plate 9 is provided with a hole or aperture 10 which includes a generally circular central portion 11 and a pair of slots 12 extending laterally therefrom. The circular central portion 11 is of sufficient diameter to receive the handle 1 of the tool with which the accessory is to be associated, and the slots 12 are adapted to accommodate any lateral projections on the handle 1. It will be seen that the end result achieved by this arrangement is similar to that achieved by the oval aperture 6 in the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

The plate 9 also is provided with four holes or slots 13, disposed about the hole 10. As in the case of the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the slots 13 are of teardrop shape. They serve to receive portions of a dusting cloth 8 surrounding the head 2 of the tool with which the accessory is associated. The procedure for establishing a connection between the dusting cloth 8 and a slot 13 is the same as the procedure described above for establishing a connection between the cloth 8 and a slot 7. The cloth is inserted through the enlarged end portion of a slot 13 and then moved longitudinally along such slot into wedging engagement with the narrow end portion of the slot.

It will be observed that the axes of the slots 13 are straight. However, it will be apparent that this is not an essential characteristic of the embodiment of Fig. 4. The axes of the slots 13 may be curved about the axis of the central opening 10 in plate 9, or they may be curved in the opposite direction, if desired. As explained above in connection with Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the use of clothholding slots having curved axes is advantageous in certain respects, and these advantages can be obtained without regard to the shape of the margin of the accessory.

It should be pointed out also that the shapes of the cloth-holding slots 7 and 13 in the accessories of this invention may be varied from the teardrop shapes illustrated without departing from the principles of the in- It is essential merely that each cloth-holding slot include an enlarged portion through which the cloth may be inserted and a narrow portion into which the cloth may be drawn laterally so as to lock it in position.

Still other variations and modifications of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that the foregoing detailed description.

of certain embodiments of the invention be considered as exemplary only and that the scope of this invention be ascertained from the following claim.

I claim:

In combination with a mop or the like having an elon gated handle, an enlarged cleaning head at one end of said handle, a pivotal connection between said handle and said cleaning head whereby the angular inclination of said handle may be varied with respect to said cleaning head, said cleaning head including means for cleaning when the mop is used in the customary manner, a relatively thin, flexible plate member removably positioned on said handle adjacent said enlarged cleaning head and said cleaning means and having an aperture therein sufliciently loosely receiving said handle whereby the angular inclination of said handle may be varied with respect to said plate member, said flexible plate member being provided with a plurality of arcuately elongated slots disposed about said aperture, each of said slots including a wide portion and a narrow portion, and a disposable References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,291,131 Radel Jan. 14, 1919 2,378,644 McCleave June 19, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 364,894 France June 12, 1906 460,002 Italy Oct. 16, 1950 592,155 Germany Feb. 2, 1934 

